“Expecting a 7.15 billion won bonus”... Samsung Electronics employee considers retiring before age 40 [What do you think?]

[Financial News] An office worker said to be an employee of Samsung Electronics is considering retiring before age 40, saying that their expected future bonuses and salary would total about 8 billion won. The plan drew concern from other workers because it was based on bonuses that have not yet been paid.
Recently, A., who said they worked for Samsung Electronics, posted on an online community that they were considering FIRE (financial independence, retire early) after achieving financial independence.
A. said they were considering leaving the company because of the workload: “Anyone else thinking about FIRE? Bonuses have been really good lately, but I work in PA (a job related to semiconductor processes), and I’m so busy and overwhelmed that I’m desperate to quit or take a leave of absence.”
A. cited the size of the bonuses they expected to receive in the future as a reason for considering early retirement. “Based on my salary, I calculated just the OPI2 (the semiconductor division’s special management performance bonus), and it comes to 7.15 billion won. Including my salary and OPI1 (the excess-profit bonus), it would be around 8 billion won, which I think would leave me with about 4 billion won after tax. I want to retire before I turn 40 and try living abroad,” A. explained.
A. also said they hoped to study a language in Japan or travel to various countries around the world after retiring. “I especially want to go to Japan to study the language, and I also want to travel the world. With that much, wouldn’t I be able to get by reasonably well after retiring?” A. asked.
Rather than quit immediately, however, A. is first considering taking a leave of absence. “I’m thinking of taking about a year off first and then quitting, but I’m worried I might regret it financially later,” A. said, sharing their financial concerns.
A. also disclosed the current value of their stock holdings. “I put about 300 million won into stocks, and now it’s 600 million,” A. said, noting that the investment had roughly doubled.
Regarding the investments, A. said, “I’ve put it all into indexes, index-tracking ETFs, and ETFs related to security, robotics, and AI. I plan to keep accumulating them without selling until the end.”
A. also described their real estate and debt. “My parents helped me buy my home, so I have one in Gwanggyo New Town, and I have about 400 million won in debt,” A. said.
A. was also thinking about the costs of getting married and raising children in the future. “What if I date someone, get married, and have a child? I’m a little worried, but I want to miss out on this God-given opportunity (?) to start a new life while I’m still young,” A. said, expressing a resolve to retire early.
However, workers who saw the post generally reacted negatively to the early-retirement plan. They said it was risky to count bonuses that had not yet been confirmed as money that would actually be received.
Some online commenters called for caution, saying, “You’re imagining what you’ll do with money that hasn’t even been paid yet? Impressive,” “Do you really think you’ll get 7.15 billion won?” and “That’s an extremely risky plan.”
Some also expressed concern about conditions in the semiconductor industry and the uncertainty of bonus payments. Comments included, “No one knows the future,” “An industry downturn is coming soon,” and “Why do you think bonus payments will last forever?”


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter